The present disclosure relates to hydrogenated amorphous silicon (α-Si:H) and alloys thereof. The present disclosure further relates to photovoltaic devices, such as solar cells, including hydrogenated amorphous silicon incorporated therein. Hydrogenated amorphous silicon can be employed in the production of solar cells and transistor devices.
Examples are p-i-n solar cells as stand-alone devices or components of multi-junction (tandem) cells, and heterojunction solar cells with single-crystalline Si (c-Si) absorption layers. Other examples of structures that utilize hydrogenated amorphous silicon include the passivation layers to photovoltaic cells, and thin-film transistors for displays and X-ray imagers. Further, hydrogenated amorphous silicon alloys, such as hydrogenated amorphous silicon germanium and hydrogenated amorphous silicon carbide, are also used in p-i-n solar cells and heterojunction solar cells.